Dear Spartans,
I am incredibly grateful to have the opportunity to serve as the superintendent of Bixby Schools. My life as a Spartan began over 30 years ago when I came to the district as a teacher in the Special Education Department, serving secondary students. I was drawn to BPS for two primary reasons: the high-quality of staff who contacted me about the job and the students I knew whose families were coming to Bixby Schools from my former district. Of course, there is a wide range of reasons families and teachers are interested in becoming a part of this district. BPS had a strong academic reputation; a focus on excellence in programs such as the arts, athletics, and student activities; the quality of its teachers, administrators, and staff; and the vision and commitment of the community and stakeholders. Their dedication to students was second to none.
Since that time, our school district has grown and changed significantly, but some important standards persist. As a district and community, we all still expect the schools to honor our primary stakeholders, the students, as our top priority. We expect open and honest communication, collaboration amongst our teams, partnerships with community members and families, and opportunities to improve all that we do. Working together, we have the power to be even better and to make BPS the outstanding school district our children deserve.
Currently, we our involved in several specific efforts towards that end. Our district’s current 2020-25 Strategic Plan is being reviewed and revised for an updated version for the years 2026-30 by a committee of stakeholders. Last spring, we engaged an outside consultant to do an audit of our inclusive instruction strategies for students who qualify for special education, and our Teaching and Learning Department has been working across the district to hone our practices in classrooms, especially related to assessment as an authentic learning tool in the instructional cycle. All of our efforts require teamwork, training, and a willingness to learn, collaborate, and grow.
Additionally, we welcome several new teammates to the Spartan family. Some are new to the district, and some are simply new to their roles. We’ve added staff where we can afford it so that we can keep the class sizes as small as possible, and we have recruited the strongest educators and leaders to do our important work. As always, we will focus on being accessible, trustworthy, professional, and highly informed to bring the most cutting-edge service and opportunities possible. Please welcome Kendall Still to the role of Associate Superintendent, Dr. Brenda Shaw as Assistant Superintendent, Dinah Benavides to the role of Director of Special Education, her new Assistant Director, Ben Watson, and several site leaders as well. East Intermediate School welcomes Lesa Moore, previously serving as the Assistant Principal, to the role of Principal; West Intermediate welcomes Lauren Lawson, previously serving as the Assistant Principal, to the role of Principal; East Elementary welcomes Ryann Watson as their new Principal as well. Kyle Smith returns to the High School as their Principal, having been the Interim Principal last year. Each site will introduce its new administrators, teachers, and staff soon.
As we continue the preparation work for the upcoming school year, I am confident we will continue to work together in the best interests of our children and the entire Bixby community. Again, thank you for your trust in me and your support of Bixby Public Schools.
